To the loyal members and sponsors of The Missouri Perfusion Society, thank you for your contribution, dedication, and encouragement as we move forward in this new year! And to the new members, welcome! I hope you all had a fun and relaxing time with family and friends during the holiday season (taking the necessary precautions of course!) As we’ve all experienced the uncertainties of last year, it’s important to stay connected and informed on what’s to come for our society this year.

PASSING THE TORCH…

A note from the past President: Clint Johnson

It has been a true pleasure and privilege to serve as your President of the Missouri Perfusion Society for the past four years. In that time, I feel we have built upon the foundation set in place by our Society’s pioneers by modernizing our society in terms of electronic functionality, improving modes of communication and continued the most valuable aspect of our Society in serving our members and all Perfusionists in and around our great state of Missouri. I will forever value the time I have spent with you all and for the many relationships formed. The Missouri Perfusion Society has a newly elected President – Brittney Peterson. I am confident she will surpass any challenge and embrace the rewarding components of presidency. To happiness and health…keep pumping away, Clint Johnson.

Current President: Brittney Peterson

I’m looking forward to stepping up and giving back to this society, as it has given me so much since becoming a perfusionist in Missouri. I was the winner of the Patrick D. Longenecker Student Scholarship in 2018 and was honored to speak at the 2018 meeting in Kansas City. I’m excited to get to know all of you and become a more active player in the perfusion community!

A little bit about me: I’m from the small town of Wayne Nebraska, and I got my degree in Perfusion from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. My mom, Shannon, is a cardiovascular ICU nurse at UNMC, and she told me all about perfusion when I was a Sophomore in college. I was able to meet with the Chief at the time and I was instantly hooked! My first job out of school was at Mercy in Springfield, MO – Heather Harris is the Chief perfusionist and I’m proud to say we have become very close friends. I then got my current job in Kansas City working for all the HCA facilities. I love being in Kansas City since it’s closer to home, and there’s never a shortage of fun things to do! I look forward to serving this great community of perfusionists, and I hope to build new relationships and learn more about our profession along the way!

A note from the past Vice President: Heather Harris

The Missouri Perfusion Society was one of the first organizations I joined upon graduating perfusion school in 2010. It has been a great networking tool with very supportive members and mentors who have made a direct impact on my career. I was happy to join the board in 2013 to be part of the organization and become an officer in 2014 as secretary and then in 2015 as Vice President. We have accomplished much as an organization and even though I will no longer be a part of the board, I look forward to now mentoring the rising stars who will take our place. I am honored to be a part of this profession, and I greatly appreciate the relationships I have formed. Thank you to all the members for your continued support to our society. I am excited for the future of MPS, and wish you all the best personally and professionally.

Warm Regards,

Heather Harris

Current Vice President: Eric Arvidson

I am honored and excited to accept the position as the new Vice President of the Missouri Perfusion Society. I am looking forward to working with Brittney and the other board members to continue to grow and advance the Missouri Perfusion Society as well as meeting and growing new relationships with the other members and perfusionists in the region.

About me: I am a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri. I completed my undergraduate degree at The University of Missouri-Kansas City in Chemistry and perfusion school at The University of Iowa. Since graduation I started my career and continue to work at North Kansas City Hospital. I am married to my beautiful wife, Olivia, and we recently adopted our first little French Bulldog puppy who is more than a hand full!

Again, I am honored to take on this position and looking forward to serving all of our members.

CURRENT OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

Brittney Peterson (President), Eric Arvidson (Vice President), Ryan McClellan (Treasurer), Patrick Allibone (Secretary), Gloria Mitten, Katy Fosdick, Jeanne Rhoades, Kelly Gray and Floyd Daniel.

We are always looking for more support on the board to better represent the Missouri Perfusion Society. We need to maintain an odd number of board members for voting purposes. Please contact us if you are interested. It is a great opportunity and service to our community.

MEMBERSHIP

Keep your memberships current and stay up-to-date! Membership dues for 2021 (covering the period of 1/1/2021- 12/31/2021) are payable on our website “missouriperfusion.com” under the “dashboard” tab. There will be a “Membership dues” tab where returning members can click “renew membership” and new members can click “join now!” Please pay the invoice that displays. If you have any questions about the membership or registration process, you can click on the “knowledge base” tab in the dashboard, or you can contact us directly.

We are grateful for the continuous support of all the society members, and we are always looking to recruit new members! If you know anyone interested in becoming a member, direct them to missouriperfusion.com.

FOREGOING THE 2021 ANNUAL MEETING

As voted by the Society Board of Directors, we have decided to forego the 2021 Missouri Perfusion Society Meeting. This is the most respectful decision given the uncertainty of the health and safety of everyone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel it is best to look ahead and focus our efforts for 2022. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes our members, however, the risk is too great at this time for everyone to meet in person.

CLOSING

Our goal is to expand our already strong community. If you know of anyone who’d like to become a member or would like to be placed on The Missouri Perfusion Society’s email list, help them to sign up for an account through the website. Your input is important! Any suggestions on future meetings or building our society in general is always encouraged. Please send any questions, comments or concerns you have to my email.

From the Missouri Perfusion Society, stay safe and healthy! We look forward to working with you in the future.

Kindest Regards,

Brittney Peterson, CCP

President

The Missouri Perfusion Society

Brittneypeterson04@gmail.com